Method And System For Locating Signal Jammers

• US 20100045506A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Corwin, Charles A., Law, Sarah E., Fisher, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/02 using radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/22 including jamming detection and monitoring

Abstract

In a method embodiment, a method includes receiving data generated at one or more monitor systems capable of monitoring for electromagnetic signals. The data is related to characteristics of a signal. The characteristics may include at least two of a respective power of the signal, a respective frequency of the signal, a time of arrival of the signal, and an angle of arrival the signal. A computing system automatically selects at least a subset of the received data. The selection is based at least partially on a physical condition at a location proximate to the monitor systems. The computing system calculates a location of a source of the signal at least in part by processing the subset of the received data. The method further includes determining that the first signal is jamming a second signal. The determination is based at least in part on the calculated location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data generated at one or more monitor systems operable to monitor for electromagnetic signals, the data related to a plurality of characteristics of a first signal, the plurality of characteristics of the first signal comprising at least two of;

a respective power of the first signal as measured at each of the one or more monitor systems;

a respective frequency of the first signal as measured at each of the one or more monitor systems;

a time the first signal arrived with respect to each of the one or more monitor systems; and

an angle the first signal arrived with respect to each of the one or more monitor systems;

automatically selecting by a computing system at least a subset of the received data, the selection based at least partially on a physical condition at a location proximate to the one or more monitor systems;

calculating by the computing system a location of a source of the signal at least in part by processing the subset of the received data; and

determining that the first signal is jamming a second signal, the determination based at least in part on the calculated location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical condition at the location proximate to the one or more monitor systems is selected from the group consisting of:

the respective locations of at least two of the one or more monitor systems relative to each other;

a physical terrain topography;

a manmade topography;

a value indicating the population density located within a predetermined range of the one or more monitor systems; and

the weather at the one or more monitor systems.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving situational data related to the physical condition at the location proximate to the one or more monitor systems.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received data comprises time-of-arrival data related to the time the signal arrived with respect to at least two of the one or more monitor systems, the time-of-arrival data accurate to within 5 nanoseconds.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating by the computing system the location of the source of the signal comprises calculating a probability that the source is located at a position for each of a first plurality of positions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each position of the first plurality of positions corresponds to a respective geospatial area having a first size;

and

further comprising automatically optimizing the calculated location of the source at least in part by calculating a probability that the source is located at a position for each position of a second plurality of positions each corresponding to a respective geospatial area having a second size less than the first size, the respective geospatial areas corresponding to the first plurality of positions collectively comprising the respective geospatial areas corresponding to the second plurality of positions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more monitor systems is capable of navigating toward the source of the signal using at least the calculated location of the source.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the one or more monitor systems is capable of disabling the source of the signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating an output displayable on a display as a digital map comprising a marker indicating the calculated location of the source of the signal.

10. A jammer locater system comprising:

a reporting system in communication with a network of monitor systems, the reporting system comprising a processor and a receiver, the reporting system operable to;

receive data generated by the network of monitor systems, the data related to a plurality of characteristics of a signal, the plurality of characteristics of the signal comprising at least two of;

a respective power of the first signal as measured at each of the one or more monitor systems;

a respective frequency of the first signal as measured at each of the one or more monitor systems;

a time the first signal arrived with respect to each of the one or more monitor systems; and

an angle the first signal arrived with respect to each of the one or more monitor systems;

automatically select at least a subset of the received data, the selection based at least partially on a physical condition at a location proximate to the network of monitor systems;

calculate a location of a source of the signal at least in part by processing the subset of the received data; and

determine that the first signal is jamming a second signal, the determination based at least in part on the calculated location.

11. The jammer locater system of claim 10, wherein the physical condition at the location proximate to the network of monitor systems is selected from the group consisting of:

a geometric distribution of the network of monitor systems;

a physical terrain topography;

a manmade topography;

a value indicating the population density located within a predetermined range of the one or more monitor systems; and

the weather at the one or more monitor systems.

12. The jammer locater system of claim 10, wherein the reporting system is further operable to receive situational data related to the physical condition at the location proximate to the network of monitor systems.

13. The jammer locater system of claim 10, wherein the received data comprises time-of-arrival data related to the time the signal arrived with respect to at least two of the network of monitor systems, the time-of-arrival data accurate to within 5 nanoseconds.

14. The jammer locater system of claim 10, wherein the reporting system is further operable to calculate a probability that the source is located at a position for each of a first plurality of positions.

15. The jammer locater system of claim 14, wherein:

each position of the first plurality of positions corresponds to a respective geospatial area having a first size; and

the reporting system is further operable to automatically optimize the calculated location of the source at least in part by calculating a probability that the source is located at a position for each position of a second plurality of positions each corresponding to a respective geospatial area having a second size less than the first size, the respective geospatial areas corresponding to the first plurality of positions collectively comprising the respective geospatial areas corresponding to the second plurality of positions.

16. The jammer locater system of claim 10, wherein at least one monitor system of the network of monitor systems is capable of navigating toward the source of the signal using at least the geolation of the source calculated by the reporting system.

17. Logic embodied in computer-readable media and operable, when executed by one or more processors, to:

receive data generated at one or more monitor systems operable to monitor for electromagnetic signals, the data related to a plurality of characteristics of a first signal, the plurality of characteristics of the first signal comprising at least two of;

a respective power of the first signal as measured at each of the one or more monitor systems;

a respective frequency of the first signal as measured at each of the one or more monitor systems;

a time the first signal arrived with respect to each of the one or more monitor systems; and

an angle the first signal arrived with respect to each of the one or more monitor systems;

automatically select at least a subset of the received data, the selection based at least partially on a physical condition at a location proximate to the one or more monitor systems;

calculate a location of a source of the signal at least in part by processing the subset of the received data; and

determine that the first signal is jamming a second signal, the determination based at least in part on the calculated location.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the physical condition at the location proximate to the one or more monitor systems is selected from the group consisting of:

the respective locations of at least two of the one or more monitor systems relative to each other;

a physical terrain topography;

a manmade topography;

a value indicating the population density located within a predetermined range of the one or more monitor systems; and

the weather at the one or more monitor systems.

19. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is further operable to receive and process situational data related to the physical condition at the location proximate to the one or more monitor systems, the automatic selection based at least in part on the processing of the situational data.

20. The logic of claim 17, wherein the received data comprises time-of-arrival data related to the time the signal arrived with respect to at least two of the one or more monitor systems, the time-of-arrival data accurate to within 5 nanoseconds.